A PUBLIC meeting is being held in Kilve Village Hall at 10.30 am on Saturday (January 24) to explain plans for a community shop.

Kilve Community Shop Committee members have met with the parish council to discuss an application for a grant of £1,000 to allow the committee to register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as a community benefit society.

The committee was grateful to the council that the request was approved, and £550 will go immediately to the Plunkett Foundation which will manage the registration with the FCA.

The rest of the money will be held until after a vote by residents in support of the project.

The public meeting will be an opportunity for villagers to see the committee’s business development plan which it is producing, and for a show of public support to be given.

Committee chairman Jim Morris said: “The more people who come, the more we can gauge public support.

“We will also be holding an online survey to get ideas and suggestions for the shop.

“We have held very positive talks with the Fairfield Trust, who are keen to hear more about our plans and have asked us to submit an application for funds.

“Kilve Community Shop Committee is very grateful to the parish council for their support and help in funding and developing this exciting project.”

The committee was formed following the closure of Kilve’s only shop and Post Office almost a year ago.

A VISITOR from the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance attended last week’s West Somerset Morris Thursday practice session.

The occasion was for West Somerset Morris to present the charity with a donation of £750.

The money will go toward the purchase of a new helicopter which the air ambulance hopes to buy later this year.

West Somerset Morris raise money for charity each year with collection boxes at their Thursday evening dance-outs in and around West Somerset.

Anybody who would like to join the dancing should call 07486 884238.

A spokesperson said: “We would love to have some new members.”

WEST Somerset Food Cupboard has sent a ‘huge thank you’ to everybody who supported the charity during the run-up to Christmas.

Sara Trigg said: “Thank you for your kindness, nearly 200 bags were given out, and they were all packed full of great food for people and families in our community.

“We are so grateful for every donation, every volunteer, and every kind word of support.

“Your generosity really did make a difference.

“I was not sure how I was going to deliver what we needed at the beginning of October, because our cupboards were so low.

“But the community really did come together, and the generosity was unbelievable.

“We now head into the New Year with real strength and the work continues, so thank you for being part of it.”

ON most Mondays in January and February, the Spice Merchant restaurant in Watchet hosts a fund-raising meal for one of the local charities or groups.

This week, it was the turn of the Forget Me Not Cafe, when 39 people arrived for an evening of tasty spicy food, friendship, and a raffle which included a hamper and a large cake donated by the restaurant staff.

Watchet and the Quantocks Dementia Action Alliance chairman Margaret Tatham said: “Many thanks to all those who came and to those who supported us with donations and raffle prizes.

“And a very special thanks to the restaurant staff who gave us such an enjoyable evening.”

More information about the needs of people living with dementia and local activities provided for them can be obtained by calling Mrs Tatham on 07973638030 or emailing to [email protected].

TWO new Somerset Council gritters have had their names chosen following a county-wide competition involving schools which has now become a winter tradition.

The gritters joining the council’s winter fleet are to be named ‘Basil Salty’ and ‘Gritney Spears’.

The council is working with highways contractor Kier to help make roads safer this winter and the gritter naming competition involving young people helps to raise awareness about the importance of road safety during the winter months.

‘Basil Salty’ and ‘Gritney Spears’, named by South Somerset Partnership School and Bucklers Mead Academy, both Yeovil-based, were the winners.

The schools will receive a visit from ‘their’ gritter and have the honour of seeing the name embellished on the vehicle.

Gritting is important during icy months as it helps keep roads safe and reduces weather-related disruptions, for people heading to school, work, or appointments.

Road gritting involves spreading rock salt on roads to prevent ice and snow build up, giving car tyres better grip.

Gritting teams have already been out and about treating roads when temperatures dip below 0.5°C.

Somerst executive Cllr Richard Wilkins said: “Thank you to everybody who took part, the schools for their amazing and creative name suggestions.

“We are always ready to grit one more time if the weather turns icy.

“We cannot wait to see ‘Gritney Spears’ and ‘Basil Salty’ on the road this winter.

“Keep an eye out for them on your travels.”

LAST year was the driest of the past three years in Wootton Courtenay by some distance.

Joanna Webber, who measures rain in the village for the Met Office, has published data for the past three years showing there was 1,362.2 mm of rainfall in 2023, 1,267.8 mm in 2024, and 979.1 mm for 2025.

The village’s wettest day in 2025 was January 26 with 38.5 mm.

Surprisingly, the driest month was March with a mere 9.3 mm, while, less surprising was that November was the wettest month with 187.5 mm.

HEALTH visitors in West Somerset are now able to offer routine vaccinations to children in their homes as part of a national NHS pilot.

The year‑long pilot aims to help families who face barriers to accessing GP appointments, such as travel costs, childcare pressures, language difficulties, or not being registered with a GP, before rolling it out across the country from 2027.

Additionally, starting this month, children across the UK will also be offered protection against chickenpox as part of the routine NHS schedule, delivered as a combined MMRV vaccine.

Under the scheme, health visitors, qualified nurses or midwives with specialist public health training, will receive extra training to administer vaccinations safely in the home and support parents who may have questions or concerns.

Somerset Council is contributing to the national effort through a health visitor‑led immunisation programme already underway locally, aimed at reaching children who have not taken up previous GP vaccination offers.

The pilot in Somerset is progressing well and is expected to support about 400 children.

Somerset executive Cllr Graham Oakes said: “This is a very encouraging development for families in Somerset and across the UK.

“Making vaccinations easier to access helps ensure more children get the protection they need to stay healthy and well, especially in more rural areas.”

National information about the health‑visitor vaccination pilot can be found on the Government website.

AFTER the huge success of Kilve Stock and Barrel 2025, organisers have already started work on the 2026 event, which will take place over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Early bird tickets are being promoted now through the event’s website.

A spokesperson said: “We are working hard on a great line-up of acts which we will be announcing over the coming months on our Facebook and Instagram pages as well as in Kilve News.

“Camping was a success in 2025 but we have taken your feedback on board and so this year there is a £20 pitch fee which includes two people camping.

“Additional campers on the same pitch will need to buy the special camper weekend ticket and this will enable us to get more toilets just for the campers.

“New for this year as well is that you will be able to come and set up on Friday, August 28, for camping from 5 pm versus arriving on the morning of Saturday, and we will have some light entertainment on Friday evening.”

MORE than £1,000 was raised for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance charity by a quiz and raffle organised by Minehead Rotary Club in the town’s Barbarians Rugby Club.

A Rotary club spokesperson said: “There was wonderful support in the form of a full house of quizzers who enjoyed a challenging set of questions, followed by a raffle draw with a wonderful array of prizes.

“The club would like to thank everybody who came to the event for their generosity and thanks also to those who donated all of the raffle prizes and helped to organise the evening which supported a vital resource in the area.

“Special thanks must go to the rugby club for being excellent hosts.”